Iowa Forward Providing Crucial Spark Off the Bench

After leading guard and primary scorer Bennett Stirtz led the Iowa Hawkeyes in scoring through the team’s first three games, their fourth matchup against Southeast Missouri State yielded a compelling result in an entirely different, perhaps even unexpected direction. Not only was the team’s leading scorer not a starter, but it came in the front court, too.

Alvaro Folgueiras, a transfer forward and former Robert Morris Colonials, led the home team in scoring; in 26 minutes off the bench, Folgueiras posted 16 points, with five rebounds and an assist, to boot. Having started for two seasons at his previous stop, the stretch big has worked to accept a role off the bench.

Bringing a Secondary Spark

All the same, according to the man himself, it’s been a positive adjustment that he’s more than happy to undertake for the betterment of his team.

Emphasis on “betterment” as, often spurred by Folgueiras’ bench efforts, the Hawkeyes have jumped out to a dominant 4-0 start, taking complete control of each of their games in the process.

Sometimes, all it takes is a player taking on a specific role, even if it means less time in the limelight. Folgueiras has done just that.

Alvaro Folgueiras on how he's enjoyed being a spark off the bench: "I just go (out) there and play. It's that easy. Coach makes me feel important and I'm trying to answer to his confidence every time I'm on the court. I don't care if I start the game on the bench, in my house,… pic.twitter.com/h3nJgl3UT4
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) November 19, 2025

It's That Easy

"I just go (out) there and play. It's that easy," Folgueiras remarked. "Coach makes me feel important and I'm trying to answer to his confidence every time I'm on the court. I don't care if I start the game on the bench, in my house, back in Spain, or wherever he wants.

"If I play 25 minutes, I'm okay," he continued. "If I play zero and the team wins, I'm going to be okay, too."

This brand of malleability has been largely lost on college basketball as it currently stands; between NIL payments being divvied out to players in order to keep them where they are and brand deals attaching themselves to bigger names, little objective reason exists any longer for an athlete to commit to his team beyond the price tag.

Of course, there are still outliers, and Folgueiras is a shining example of one of those. Whether or not he remains on the bench going forward (he could play his way off of it), having a high-scoring player committed to whatever role the team needs him in is crucial to the roster's success going forward.

Togetherness translates to wins in March. The Hawkeyes emphasizing that now will only bode well for them when the madness comes around.

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